Map of ancient Israel
Map of ancient Israel east of the Jordan River: East Manasseh, Gad, Reuben tribes of Israel.
Israel east of the Jordan River
Map Plains of Moab
Map Plains of Moab
Plains of Moab
Israel east of the Jordan River
Israel east of the Jordan River
Map View from Mount Nebo
Map View from Mount Nebo
View from Mount Nebo
Mount Nebo has the highest summit on the plateau, at 2,300 feet elevation, or 710 meters. That’s an especially good vantage point to view what is now Israel and Palestinian territories since the Dead Sea is about 1,400 feet below sea level, or 430 meters. That’s more than a kilometer above the Jordan River Valley, about three-fourths of a mile.Why God didn't let Moses into Promised Land
Scholars debate why God reacted wouldn't let Moses into the Promised Land of Canaan. Two popular guesses:- God told Moses to merely speak to the rock, but Moses angrily hit it with a stick—twice. Also, Moses seemed to take some credit for the miracle when he said “Do we have to bring water from this rock” (Numbers 20:9). As in God and Moses, the tag team? Some scholars say God’s complaint about Moses and Aaron in Numbers 20: 12 and 24 seem like an overreaction to what the men did.
- So, another guess is that the writer didn’t want to report what really happened. Instead, he wanted to protect the reputation of the men.
Notes
- Mountains east of the Jordan River. It includes Mount Nebo and extends south.
- Across the Jordan River from Jericho.
- It’s unclear where Mount Hor was. There’s a long tradition that connects it to Jebel Nabi Harun (Mountain of Prophet Aaron), roughly a day’s walk south of Edom’s capital city of Petra. Some scholars say that mountain was well inside the country of Edom, which is where the Israelites were forbidden to go. Another contender is Jebel Madurah. It was about a two-day walk northwest of Petra. The mountain is southwest of the Dead Sea, along what would have been the border of the Promised Land and Edom.
- Literally “the waters of Meribah-kadesh.” Meribah means to fight, argue, complain, rebel. Kadesh is a location. Scholars most often identify Kadesh, also called Kadesh Barnea, as the spring-fed oasis at Tel el-Qudeirat, on Egypt’s side of the border with Israel. Another contender is Ain Qadeis, also on Egypt’s side of the border. Bible writers put the location in different deserts: Zin Desert (Numbers 20:1) and Paran Desert (Numbers 13:26). Some theorize there were two Kadesh oases. West Kadesh and East Kadesh. Not many scholars seem to buy into that. The story of Moses disobeying God, as reported in Exodus, says Moses named the site “Pushy Complainers,” or literally in the Hebrew name, “Massah Meribah.” Massah means to test or to get pushy.
View from Mount Nebo
Acacia Grove camp
Acacia Grove camp
Map Plains of Moab, staging ground for invasion of Canaan
Map Plains of Moab, staging ground for invasion of Canaan
Staging ground for invasion
Crossing the Jordan River into Canaan
Crossing the Jordan River into Canaan
Crossing the Jordan River into Canaan
Jordan River
The Jordan River and the river valley are important locations in both the Old and New Testaments. It's especially important to the Jewish and Christian people.Geography of the River
The river is a river in the Middle East that starts north, in the mountains of Lebanon. It flows into the Dead Sea. Bible writers talk about it many times. They report it in the story of Joshua, who led the Israelites across the Jordan into Canaan. John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan. The Jordan River valley is a lush green area that is surrounded by desert. It's famous for its fertile land and beautiful scenery. Bible writers called it the land of milk and honey. This is because God told Moses that he would lead the Israelites to a land "where milk and honey flow like rivers" (Exodus 3:8, Casual English Bible).Jordan River scenes in the Bible
The Jordan River valley is home to other important biblical sites, including Jericho. That's the city famous for its walls that came tumbling down in Joshua's time. The northern river valley is also home to the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. And in that same valley, on the Sea of Galilee, is where the Bible writers report that Jesus walked on water and calmed the storm. The Casual English Bible describes the river as "the most famous river in the Bible." It says that when Joshua led the Israelites across the river and into the Promised Land "walking in the water of the Jordan River symbolized the people stepping out in faith and trusting God to keep his promise." The Bible says God stopped the Jordan River during flood sea, which allowed the Israelites to cross. Israelites are the ancient ancestors of today's Jewish people.For more about the River, consider these bestselling Bible-background books: Complete Guide to the Bible, Who's Who & Where's Where in the Bible.
Plains of Moab
Plains of Moab
Desert road to Promised Land
Desert road to Promised Land
Judean hills
Judean hills
Judean hills
Judean hills
Map of Babylonians conquering Judah
Map of Babylonians conquering Judah
Map of Babylonians conquering Judah in 586 BC.
Attack of the Babylonians
Hills, praise the Lord
Hills, praise the Lord
Map of Judean Hills...the hills that praise the Lord
Map Psalm 2
Map Psalm 2
Map Psalm 2, Going up to Jerusalem
Going up to Jerusalem
Map Revelation 12
Map Revelation 12
Map Revelation 12. A woman runs away to the badlands and to a safehouse for three and a half years.
On the run
Map Jesus in Aenon
Map Jesus in Aenon
Map Jesus in Aenon. Jesus and his disciples leave Jerusalem after stirring up heated debate among the Bible scholars. John the Baptist stays behind and is arrested a short time later, and eventually beheaded.
Escaping Jerusalem
Jesus crosses Jordan River
Jesus crosses Jordan River
Map Romans crush Jewish revolt
Map Romans crush Jewish revolt
Map Romans crush Jewish revolt sending an army and destroying Jerusalem and the Temple, which has never been rebuilt.
Romans crush Jewish revolt
Map Jewish Revolt
Map Jewish Revolt
Map Jewish revolt against Rome in AD 66. Rome sends an army led by Titus the next year, crushing the revolt and destroying Jerusalem and the Temple, which has never been rebuilt.
Romans crush Jewish revolt
Map Temptation of Jesus
Map Temptation of Jesus
Tempting Jesus
3D Map Capernaum
3D Map Capernaum
3D Map Capernaum, beside the Sea of Galilee
Lakeside Capernaum
Map Mission of John the Baptist
Map Mission of John the Baptist
Mission of John the Baptist
Map Sea of Galilee
Map Sea of Galilee
Sea of Galilee
John baptizes Jesus
John baptizes Jesus
Route to Jerusalem
Route to Jerusalem
Route to Jerusalem
The Road to Jerusalem was a week-long walk from Jesus' HQ in the fishing village of Capernaum on north shore of the Sea of Galilee. That's where he spent most of his time. The people there were welcoming and accommodating, compared to the Jewish scholars in Jerusalem. Jesus reportedly healed a wide range of illnesses and diseases. And he was known to feed the crowds a few times. But Jesus did go to Jerusalem for some of the Jewish festivals, including the biggest one: Passover. He spent time teaching in the Temple and revealing the hypocrisy and selfish egos of many Jewish experts in the Laws of Moses and the commentary by rabbis from decades and centuries earlier.South to Jerusalem
The Road to Jerusalem led south of Capernaum. But Bible writers usually described Jerusalem as “up” from everywhere because it sat on the ridge of a hill. People had to climb to get to Jerusalem. There was also, perhaps, a sense of reverence in the description of going up to what became known as the Holy City. In the other three Gospels, the story of Jesus chasing the merchants out of the Temple shows up in the final days of Jesus’s ministry (Matthew 21:10-17; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-46).Passover, the big holiday
Jews call this holiday by its Hebrew name: Pesach (PAY-sah). It was also called the Festival of Unleavened Bread. This bread was flatbread made with no yeast. Yeast is what makes bread dough rise. Many Jews today celebrate the holiday by eating cracker-like matzo. Tortillas would also qualify. The festival is a seven-day celebration beginning on the 14th day of the first month in the Jewish new year: Nisan, usually sometime in March or April. It varies because the Jewish calendar is based on the cycles of the moon. Jewish pilgrims traveled the Road to Jerusalem, coming from all over the world to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem, somewhat like Christian pilgrims today go to Bethlehem at Christmas and Jerusalem at Easter. One difference is that the pilgrimage is optional for Christians, but the law of Moses ordered it for Jews. At Passover, Jerusalem swelled to many times its normal size.Road to Jerusalem
